Your Best Just Got Better - A Review

I've been reading Jason Womack's book, "Your Best Just Got Better," on my Kindle for the past week or so.  I just finished it and the verdict is in: It is so well done!

I met Jason a few years ago when he still worked for the David Allen Company, and have been impressed with his perspective from day one, particularly his ability to provide insightful suggestions to improve your skills no matter what your current situation.

Expand your perspective to improve your outcomes

This book is very interesting, practical, energizing and I highly recommend it.  Throughout, Jason offers hands-on exercises to get you into a more active mode of driving your own future.  I read the book cover-to-cover, but now I am planning to go back and conduct the exercises step-by-step (I skipped some exercises because I was on planes, or my energy / attention levels weren't where they needed to be) because I can see just how powerful they can be.

One pervasive theme throughout the book is to think beyond your "normal" perspective so you can stretch your goals, drive different and better effort, and get more assertive in pushing your life where you want it to go.  For example, the book begins with an interesting visioning exercise called "Your Ideal Day," which gets you to begin imagining how things could be if you had a magic wand.  If you want a taste of this, be sure and check out Jason's web site for a sample, along with a contest that goes through the end of 2012.

One of the things I like about Jason is that he uses a lot of models and constructs that make sense to me (I'm big on finding models that I can apply in different situations.  For example, I like the I.D.E.A. model that shows up throughout the book:

I: Identify a very specific area you want to improve. Focus your attention on making the best better in one area of your life, and clarify what that will look like when you get there.

D: Develop strategies to engage in specific actions and techniques to direct your professional improvement and personal development. Acknowledge the process—remember, you’re just getting started! An important aspect is that the most sustainable changes people tend to make usually start small, are repeated with consistency, and often result in a payoff greater than anyone could have hoped.

E: Experiment by planning for and taking actions that generate bursts of momentum. Experimenting gives you the freedom to stop at any time to try something new. It also provides a more objective framework so that you can determine whether you should stop or continue moving forward. When you take actions to make your best better, it continues to get better.

A: Assess the value the effort has created. Here is the question I consistently ask myself, my friends, my family, even my clients: “Is what you’re doing worth the effort?”

Womack, Jason W. (2012-01-05). Your Best Just Got Better: Work Smarter, Think Bigger, Make More (p. 5). John Wiley and Sons. Kindle Edition.

 Shape your own outcomes

Jason also provides some great advice in shaping the results you get in your life - one involves adjusting the words you use to create more positive, future-oriented results; the other involves taking inventory of the people you hang out with, and distancing yourself from those that have a negative or counter-productive influence on you.  Truly great advice.

You'll find some familiar concepts (including some I've written about in the past, like time audits) and they're always presented with solid step-by-step methods to help you apply the concepts.  For example, you'll find some great techniques for more effective "chunking" (aka time boxing) your day to get more out of each 15-minute block in your day.  You'll also find good techniques to track how you're doing on your goals, as well as how well you're using your energy to get there.As someone who's always looking for ways to become more productive, I eat this stuff up.  

This book is that it isn't just about getting more done, Jason also coaches you on methods you can use to make more money - that's something we can all use, particularly in this economy.  And Jason's advice on how to build and leverage your network (business, social, etc) is excellent.  Very cool.

A great book for "now"

Lately, I've noticed that a lot of people I know are taking hard looks at their lives - either to increase their success, make more money, or fig our out what's next for them.  If that sounds like you, this book is perfect for you right now, and I encourage you to pick up a copy and get started going through the exercises.

If you aren't sure, or you want to get a feel for Jason's writing style, why not start with a free e-book from him called, "7 Keys To A More Productive Day," from Jason Womack's web site.

If you're convinced and ready to jump in, grab a copy of "Your Best Just Got Better," today.  By the way - I think this book will be a great gift for some recent graduates I know, as well as great gifts this holiday season for some of my good friends.

Leave a lasting Impression: How to Crush it at Your Next Networking Event

Whether you're running a small business, or involved in an "outbound" role in your company,
you'll inevitably find yourself networking to make connections with potential clients or partners.
Making a connection at a networking event is challenging for a number of reasons:

• If you're an introvert like me, you may have to fight the natural inclination to keep to yourself;


• The size of the crowd can make it difficult to know where to start;


• Maybe you don't think you're good at introductions or small talk.

Despite the complications that might arise in a crowded event, as a business owner or representative of your company, you can make an impact with the right strategy.

Pay Attention to Others

Attempting to build a network requires a real connection with the other party. According to Keith Ferrazzi on his website, it is important to pay attention to one individual at a time. Allowing attention to wander and spending only a short time with each individual will show a lack of appreciation for others.

Take time to connect with each individual for a reasonable length of time. Pay attention to the concerns, comments and information that the other individual is offering in a conversation. It will show an interest in their business and provide valuable insight into potential partners or clients. Find things you have in common, and use them to keep the conversation going.

Offer a Business Card

A business card provides a reminder of the conversation and offers a connection to follow through with ideas offered at the event. It is possible to obtain professional business cards through Overnight Prints that are appropriate for any company. Overnight Prints offers cards in small or large quantities, making it ideal for small-business owners. According to the company website, it is possible to order 50 or more business cards at a time. I've also seen people use "Moo Cards" from Moo.com to stand out from the crowd and make more of a lasting impression.

During an event, offering a business card plays a key role in maintaining a connection. According to Ned Smith on Business News Daily, small business owners are still using business cards to make profitable connections. Smith states that business owners often make around $5,000 for every 100 cards passed out during networking.

When offering a business card at an event, wait until after making a connection. Hand a card to the other individual when they ask for contact information, details about the company or before closing the conversation. It is impolite to hand out a card without making any connection beforehand.

Ask Questions

Every individual likes talking about their company, goals or ideas. According to Melissa Cassera on AOL, asking questions about the other person’s reason for attending an event will provide an opportunity to break the ice and obtain some information about other attendees.

Asking questions allows the other individual to talk about their company, interests, ideas or the information they hope to learn at the event. It also provides the opportunity to share as a conversation develops.

If you read about my questions for "genuine curiosity," you might get some good ideas on how to get people talking.

Follow Through After the Event

Obtaining a lasting connection requires a follow through with the individual. Following up with the other party can be as simple as sending a note, making a phone call or sending an email. A polite follow through will remind the individual of the conversation and provide the opportunity to talk in the future.

I carry around a small notepad to write down follow-up items. Some people write on the back of cards which can work -- just keep in mind that some cultures outside the USA see writing on someone else's card as a sign of disrespect. In Asia, there are a lot more rules to be aware of, so you might want to familiarize yourself with Asian business card etiquette. Which leads me to the next point...

Treat Every Individual with Respect

Respect is a key part of making an impression at any event. Even the individuals who are currently in a low position in a company can provide valuable insight or ideas. According to Keith Ferrazzi, treating every individual with respect will prevent uncomfortable situations in the future.

It is possible that an individual in a supposedly low position might become the head of a department or the CEO of a large company in the future. By treating every individual with respect, it is easier to prevent resentment or ill-feelings that will ruin a company.

Building a network and encouraging the growth of a company is not as hard as it might seem. With a few simple tricks, it is possible to create lasting connections that improve the quality and reputation of a company.

What's in your networking playbook? If you have any tips or tricks to share, I'd love to hear them - especially if you have any good stories!

How can you boost your productivity?

In the past, I've written a lot of things relating to personal productivity here, since efficient & effective throughput is a big quest for me. I recently ran across an article on the Industrial Space blog, called "7 Websites That Can Boost Your Productivity" and I found it worthy of sharing.

The post refers to a couple of familiar tools that I've written about before, such as Toodledo, which I use in conjunction with the Manage Your Now methodology; and RescueTime, which I use to track where I spend my time on my computer.

But wait- there's more!

Eric Thompson, the author of the post, also brought several additional web-based tools to my attention -- ones I'd never heard of before. Specifically, he shares info about Bitrix 24, PickyDomains, Yugma, JetRadar, and Vyew. I won't link to them here - instead, I encourage you to head over to the article on Industrial Space, read Eric's descriptions, and follow the links from there.

I will tell you that I've already added JetRadar to my toolbox - it is a great resource if you travel as much as I do!

And one more from me...

And while I have you, I'd like to mention one other website that has really helped my productivity: Buffer. Buffer, (aka BufferApp) is an easy-to-use tool to allow you to create a reservoir of things you'd like to tweet, and have them go out at scheduled times. I have a schedule set up to send out tweets several times a day, which I like because I can schedule 30 minutes to catch up on my blog and RSS Feed reading, then queue up a bunch of tweets to go out over a longer period of time.

For me, this helps keeping me from "tweet storming" a bunch of posts at once (I find that a bit annoying myself), and creates the illusion that I'm online and tweeting a lot more than I actually am (shh- don't give away my little secret). Buffer integrates with a lot of apps including the Twitter web site, Tweetcaster, the Google Reader feed, and others. Most of the time, I use the BufferApp Safari add-on, which lets me push a button to add a page to my buffer:

As you can see from the dialog, you can post the tweet now, add an image, and/or add it to your Buffer. Once it's in the buffer, it gets added to the list of items to go out on your assigned schedule. I just added the post in the screen shot to my Buffer, and it is scheduled to post Monday at 5:42pm Pacific time.

However, it may not go out at that time, after all… and why not? The answer lies in a cool feature of Buffer: You can edit your buffer - the app provides a web page to manage your buffer, which makes it easy to re-order items, edit them, elaborate, etc. so you can adjust when specific items get posted.

So if you like to tweet, check it out. And, once again, don't forget to check out the "7 Websites That Can Boost Your Productivity."

Online Data Storage: Is it okay to Move to the Cloud?

In the past, I've written about how much I love layered backup strategies - a local copy (or more than one), an off-site physical copy, and a "cloud" copy.  Sometimes people ask me about whether my data is safe and/ or private in the cloud - especially people who want to back up business data.  The short answer is "yes - if you choose a cloud backup provider with the right capabilities."  With that in mind, I thought I'd share some additional information on this topic.

The problem people face when using private computer systems is the need to keep the maximum amount of information available - how can we store, organize, and protect all of it? To help solve this problem, you can use remote backup services to store online reports. The concern remains, however, about whether keeping information off-site and online is a safe way to store private information.

Is the Cloud the Best Option for Business Owners?

Some companies have come to realize that there are huge benefits of storing information online. A report on cloud storage comparison found that out of 97 health care facilities that were surveyed, 71 percent were considering a move to the cloud powered storage. Using The cloud is one of the more cost effective methods for storing information. There is no need to buy expensive equipment to back up data with and It gives business owners the quickest way to access information and it keep information secure at all times.

Why Are People Reluctant to Move to Cloud Computing?

The only issue with all of this boils down to whether or not the cloud is safe. And a business professional has good reason to be concerned about their private information falling into the hands of some hacker because all it takes is for one person to break their way into a private system to compromise highly confidential information. As this technology gets better, however, you can find Cloud Storage Systems that will fit your business's specific security needs. If you are methodical in your cloud storage comparison, you'll find that buying cloud storage is the same as buying anything else: there are products that are well made and that will fit your needs and there are products that simply will not. Knowing what you do and don't need out of your company's Cloud Storage is a good place to being your research. A second concern some people have is the availability and accessibility of their information. Companies that thrive on customer service must have access to their business information on a daily basis. The concern is that the company will not be able to pull up the information they need in a timely manner. When dealing with customers, the information you need has to available within a few seconds. If the customer has to wait any length of time they can become impatient and upset, which often prompts the customer to take their business elsewhere.

Is Storing Information Online Safe and Concern Free

Storing information online really is the safest way to keep information from being lost or stolen. When a file is uploaded to a backup server it goes through an encryption process that keeps hackers from being able to read and access information. In order to read user-files the client must first enter the correct user name and then enter a secure password. The password and user name is usually chosen by the information owner.

Information that is stored online is available 24 hours a day from any location. A company can upload information and have instant access to the account setup on the server. Not only does the client have instant access, but also a backup copy just in case the system should crash. Beyond the instant access and reliable backup there is also the benefit of business email providers, online customer service systems, and other user support.

Obviously, a lot of my comments are directed at businesses, but I use cloud backup services for my personal use - because I value the benefits I mention above for my personal data, as well.  

I hope you found this information helpful - I know my cloud backups have saved my bacon on several occasions, and I encourage you to make the move to the cloud for your backups.

Is "monkey" your password?

A while back I wrote about passwords and how to tell if yours has been compromised.  Meanwhile, I have been watching the news with fascination regarding many of the well-publicized password leaks and breaches, and have been amused at some of the popular passwords.  Seems like there are a lot of basketball fans out there who like to use "jordan" as their passwords in honor of Michael Jordan.  There are also a lot of profane passwords, as well as "password," "12345678," and other simple passwords.  

One password that was amusing to me -- and for which I have no explanation -- is the popularity of "monkey" as a password.  It showed up pretty high on LinkedIn, Gawker, Sony, and a few others…who knew?

Anyway, I recently ran across an info graphic that I think does a nice job of putting the password complexity in context, and I thought I'd share it here.  Pretty interesting to see how minor increases in the length and complexity of your password can make a huge difference.  And remember - the Pros are the guys you should be worried about - not the "Noob" hackers.

TouchFire is a lightweight keyboard addition for your iPad

Earlier this year, I heard about a Kickstarter project for an iPad add-on called "TouchFire."  The idea sounded intriguing:  A flexible silicone-ish keyboard that magnetically attached to your iPad screen, providing tactile keys that worked with the iPad's soft keyboard.

I investigated, and decided to get in on the project, which entailed "investing" some money in the project for an opportunity to reserve one of the units when they began shipping.  I put my money down.  About a month ago, I received my keyboard and it is pretty cool.  But it isn't perfect and it probably won't be a hit for everyone so I decided to write a brief review of my experiences here.

What you get

For $50, you get a TouchFire keyboard, a carrying case (it folds up pretty small and fits nicely in the case), and some adhesive magnets that attach to your smart cover, if you have one - more on why you need those magnets in a second.

How the TouchFire works

The TouchFire keyboard has strong magnets built into it, and it "snaps" on to your iPad, and aligns itself much like Apple's smart covers do - this makes it easy to get the keyboard into the right position over the on-screen keyboard.  

This also makes it easy to flip the TouchFire down (toward you) if you want to temporarily gain access to your full iPad screen such as when you want to draw on the screen or use your fingers to perform operations.  Then you can simply flip it back up over the screen when you want to type.

Another cool aspect of the TouchFire's flexibility and ease of removing the keyboard is that it can fold up inside your smart cover to completely get the TouchFire out of the way without risking that you'll leave it behind.  This is where the adhesive magnets I mentioned come into play.  

• When you first get your TouchFire, you go through a short process to position and mount a couple of magenta to the underside of your smart cover.
• After that, if you don't want to use the TouchFire, you simply lift it with the smart cover the next time you open it up, and the magnets will hold the keyboard against the smart cover, as shown in the picture at right (you can see larger versions of these pictures at the TouchFire site).

Typing on the TouchFire is pretty nice - you get exactly the same layout as the iPad keyboard, but how you have tactile keys that can help you type more quickly, especially if you are a touch typist.  You will need to experiment a bit to see if you like to type flat or if you like to type at an angle, which you can achieve by propping it up with the smart cover.

The TouchFire seems pretty durable so far, and you can easily wash it if it gets dirty (I've washed mine once after I got a bunch of dust on it).

There is one complaint I have about the TouchFire.  Apparently, I "drag" my fingers over the top of the keys ever-so-slightly when I type and it took a while to get used to raising my fingers up higher - the jelly-like feel of the TouchFire's keys grabbed my fingers enough to slow my typing down and annoy me.  I don't have that issue with "normal" physical keys.

On a related note, you may find the TouchFire to be very sticky at first.  Give it a few days and that stickiness calms down, in my experience.

By the way - if you're interested in seeing it in action, I encourage you to watch the video that got me excited about this:

Pros and Cons

Here are the pros and cons from my perspective.

Pros:

• Very lightweight
• Easy to "install" and remove (clear instructions are provided with the TouchFire)
• Nice carrying case, and extra magnets are provided
• Enables touch typing using Apple's touch keyboard, which means spellcheck / autocorrect work the same as with Apple's keyboard
• Integrates with Apple's smart cover
• No batteries or other moving parts

Cons:

• Jelly-like feel of keys may not work for your typing style (see my notes above).
• When you switch to alternate symbols on the keyboard, sometimes it's hard to see which key is which since they soft keys are now covered by the TouchFire.  You can kind of see through the TouchFire, but it's not completely clear.

For me, the bottom line is that I am happy I bought a TouchFire, because I regularly use it when I'm trying to travel very  light.  However, for productivity and typing speed, I still find myself gravitating back to my Logitech keyboard case - even if it weighs more and has to be recharged once a month.  

Another aspect I like about the Logitech - when I'm taking notes with it, the iPad screen is upright kind of like a laptop screen, which means I can take notes without allowing others to read what I'm typing.  Obviously, typing on a near-vertical surface just isn't practical using the onscreen keyboard.

If you end up getting a TouchFire, let me know how you like it - I have two friends that absolutely love the TouchFire, and would like to hear more from other people.